Improvement in cork-sole stuff



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM JOHNSTON, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN CORK-SOLE STUFF.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 18,286, dated Sepember 29, 1857.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM JOHNSTON, of the city of Brooklyn, E. D., in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Mode of Making Oork- Gloth; and I do declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof.

The nature of my invention consists in rendering silk, cotton, leather, or other material water-proof, with all the requisite qualities of solid sheet-cork. This cloth is designed for inside soles, and for lining boots, shoes, and similar articles to which solid sheet-cork has generally been applied. 7

The advantages claimed by thisinvention are that, whereas solid cork occupies more space and breaks in pieces by motion, and thus becomes useless, the cork-cloth will never break, occupies less space, is flexible, durable, and possesses all the required qualities of solid cork.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct the cork-cloth of cotton, muslin, silk, leather, orother suitable material, which material is stretched on a solidframc. On the surface of the inateiial is laid a priming of boiled oil, over which I sift a quantity of fine pulverized cork, and press it in with rollers before the oil is dry, and allow it to retnain some time to dry. I then apply another coat of boiled oil and sift another quantity of fine cork over it, which is pressed in as before, repeating this process till I obtain the substance required. The pulverized cork is m ado by grinding solid cork in a burr-stone mill or any other mill that will reduce it fine. Then pass it through sieves to the fineness required.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The making of cork-cloth by the aforesaid process for inside soles and lining of boots, shoes, and other articles for which solid sheetcork has hitherto been applied, using for that purpose the aforesaid materials, or others substantially the same, to produce the same results.

W. JOHNSTON. Witnesses:

E. V. SMITH, P. H. VALE. 

